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IndyCar: Dario Franchitti drives Jim Clark's race-winning Lotus

September 20, 2010

Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti got to walk--drive, actually--in the path of his hero on Tuesday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Franchitti drove the 1965 Lotus of Indy winner Jim Clark. The No. 82 car was restored last year in Indianapolis and driven, essentially, by only one other person before Franchitti--fellow Scotsman Jackie Stewart, who demonstrated the Lotus at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Franchitti said he couldn't believe the emotion that swelled through him.

“That was pretty special,” he said. “It was a lifetime dream to drive that car, and to drive it here at the Speedway was incredible.

“On one hand I was very conscious of what I was driving, a completely original car that only Jimmy and Jackie have driven before me.”

Clark started the Lotus from second position in the 1965 race at a speed of 160.720 mph. Franchitti, on the other hand, wasn't sure how fast he drove on Tuesday.

“I wanted to go quick in it, but I was conscious of the fact it was irreplaceable, so I took my time,” he said. “I got it to about half throttle one time and I realized how quick it was and it was kind of a shock, actually.

“The funny thing is, when you're driving [today's] Indy car . . . my job is to take the emotions out of it, put it away somewhere and focus on the job and the result. I don't really enjoy any of the emotions you would go through. But today was completely different; it was about enjoying the sensation and everything that was going on. That was really cool.”